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Dragonkin
Born to fight, dragonkin are a race of mercenaries, soldiers, and adventurers. Long ago, they claim, their empire contended for worldwide dominion, but now only a few rootless clans of these honorable warriors remain to pass on their legends of ancient glory. The dragonkin were the first race to prove that there are lands across the Whirling Sea. In the year 1 PE, the first dragonkin ships landed on the western shores of Rannica, the ancient empire that covered the entire continent that is now called Ohma. Rannican records state that there were a grand total of 342 dragonkin on board that day, but they claimed that the rest of their vast kingdom would be right behind them. No more ever came. Those left were made slaves to Rannican elites until their revolt 14 years later, along with a large conglomerate of rebels. The dragonkin were one of the deciding factors in the fall of the Empire of Rannica, in which they continue to take great pride. Physical Description Dragonkin resemble humanoid dragons. They’re covered in scaly hide, but they don’t have tails. They are tall and strongly built, often standing close to 6 1/2 feet in height and weighing 300 pounds or more -- females being of basically the same height and weight as males. Their hands and feet are strong, talonlike claws with four fingers and a thumb on each hand. A dragonkin’s head can feature a blunt snout, a strong brow, and distinctive frills at the cheek and ear. Some have horns, some have leathery crests, and others have both. Most dragonkin have very fine scales over most of their body, giving their skin a leathery texture, with regions of larger scales on the forearms, lower legs and feet, shoulders,and thighs. Young dragonkin grow faster than human children do. They walk hours after hatching, reach the size and development of a 10-year-old human child by the age of 3 and reach adulthood by 15. They live about as long as elves do. Relations The dragonkin's dedication to honor and tradition lends them respect among dwarves, but the mountain-dwellers are wary of this race, noting that they are descended from dragons, and most dragons view dwarves as a tasty snack rather than an ally. In truth, this wariness is found among most cultures; dragonkin are rarely fully accepted in the societies to which they've assimilated. They take it all in stride, however, and treat everyone with the respect they deserve, no matter what culture they call their own. Alignment and Religion Dragonkin have a well-known dedication to honor; because of this, most of them are lawful. Even the rare evil dragonkin is likely to work within his own strict code of honor and tradition to achieve his nefarious goals.The dragonkin drive for honor carries on into the culture of the race. Among dragonkin, oathbreaking is a heinous crime, and honesty is expected whenever a deal is struck. Commitment to a word is expected to be carried out to the letter, and all parties in a transaction are held accountable and responsible for failings. Ultimately, those who fail to meet their word are expected to accept the consequences, and in fact, most dragonkin do. So widespread is this value of honor and honesty that it is commonly believed that dragonkin never break their word. The dragonkin worship a unique pantheon of gods that is totally alien to the religion of Ohma. The Khortheraj, as they are collectively known, are fiercely worshiped (or in the case of the evil ones, meekly placated to avoid their wrath) by the dragonkin clans. Adventurers Perhaps paradoxically given the often rigid conditions of their society, dragonkin have a strong sense of independence and self-worth. Most dragonkin however do not view this as a need to break away from society as other individuals might, but rather to shape it for the better through their own unique strengths and weaknesses. Because of this, many are likely to set off into the world to put their skills to use and return with something that will better their society. Likewise, dragonkin see themselves as responsible for those around themselves, the group ultimately reflecting on the individual. In this way the successes and failures of each dragonkin are the failures and successes of the group they associate with, giving dragonkin a very collective sense of self while retaining their individuality. Ultimately, dragonkin hold themselves accountable for their choice of allies and poor judgment is considered no excuse for failing to uphold the standards to which all dragonkin hold themselves.